Means for diffusing gases into liquids

ABSTRACT

Means for supporting, levelling and/or retaining a pipe or pipework, especially of a gas diffuser system, comprises a block or body adapted to constitute a stand for the pipe or pipe-work and having a hole or recess in or through it for the pipe or pipework. The hole or recess is eccentric with respect to the peripheral configuration of the block or body so that, by adjusting or setting the block or body angularly about the axis of the pipe or pipe-work, the effective height of the stand can be varied. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a block, which constitutes the stand for the pipe or pipe-work, is of polygonal form and has five to nine sides. A particularly convenient material for the block or body is concrete.

United States Patent [191 m1 swans Branton [451 f1 ay 15, 1973 541 MEANS'FOR DIFFUSING GASES INTO 3,525,685 8/1970 Edwards ..26l/l24 LIQUIDS 1,714,329 5/1929 Stevens ..248/80 1,571,826 2/1926 Wellenhoffer ..248/l07 [75] Inventor: Eric Sidney Branton, Rornford, i t M", Primary ExaminerTim R. Miles [73] Assignee: Activated Sludge Limited, London, Assistant Examiner-Steven H. Markowitz v England 7 my 77 i Attorney- Berman, Davidson & Berman [22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 88,291

Means for supporting, levelling and/or retaining a pipe or pipe-work, especially of a gas diffuser system, com- [30] Foreign Application Priority Data prises a block or body adapted to constitute a stand Dec. 24, 1969 Great Britain ..62,972/69 5 Pipe and f a recess in or through it for the pipe or pipe-work. The hole or recess is eccentric with respect to the peripheral conlll Kl/1221,3331 g figuration of the block or y so that, y adjusting or setting the block or y angularly about the axis of [58] Field of Search ..261/l2l, 122,124,

248/80 107 124 the pipe or pipe-work, the effective height of the stand can be varied. In a preferred embodiment of the in- R t C1 d vention a block, which constitutes the stand for the 1 e erences l e pipe or pipe-work, is of polygonal form and has five to UNITED STATES PATENTS nine sides. A particularly convenient material for the block or body is concrete. 2,521,454 9/1950 Dvesslev ..261/l24 2,521,474 9/1950 Morgan ..261/ 124 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,281,769 5/1942 Hoc'hriem ..248/l88.2

MEANS FOR DIFFUSING GASES lNllO LIQ ,the pipe-work in a system for diffusing gases into liquids. An example of such a system is that for diffusing air into sewage in the Activated Sludge process of sewage purification.

In one known arrangement for diffusing air into sewage for the purification thereof by the Activated Sludge process, a plurality of inverted dish-shaped or domeshaped diffusers having a porous top are mounted at spaced intervals on and along one or more air supply pipes or mains, each diffuser being positioned over an orifice in said supply main so that it receives air therefrom. This air is diffused through the difiusers in the form of small bubbles into the sewage or other liquid to be treated, the supply main and the diffusers being located at or towards the lower part of a treatment tank for the sewage or other liquid.

One object of the present invention is'to provide a more economical means for supporting, levelling and /or retaining the diffuser pipe-work. A further object of the invention is to provide means for supporting and/or retaining the diffuser pipe-work which enables alterations readily to be made in said pipe-work to form difof the block or body whereby, by adjusting or setting said block or body angularly about the axis of the pipework, the effective height of the stand can be varied.

Conveniently the block or body, mates snugly with the pipe-work.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention the block or body is of polygonal form the sides of the polygon each being at a different distance from the axis of the hole or opening for the pipe-work. The block or body may, for example, be in the form of a heptagon the sides of which are, say, a quarter of an inch nearer to or further from the axis of the hole or opening than their neighbors.

The block or body may be in two or more segments to facilitate the positioning of the pipe-work in it.

One particular embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings and as applied to a plant for the treatment of sewage for the purification thereof by the Activated Sludge process.

In the following description reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic lay-out of the diffuser pipe system,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through one of the diffusers, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stand provided in accordance with the present invention for supporting the diffuser pipes from the floor of the treatment tank.

The grid pipe-work lay-out shown in FIG. 1 comprises a distribution main M of, for example, cast iron or U.P.V.C., whichfeeds air under pressure into a series of difiuser pipes 13. The pipes 13 are of a plastics material (e.g. U.P.V.C.) and will usually be in sections solvent welded together. Mounted at spaced intervals on and along the pipes 13 are the difiisers 16 which are of porous stone or other porous material.

Each of the diffusers 10 (see FIG. 2) is mounted on an annular base plate or seating ll which is formed as an integral part of a saddle 12. The combined base plate and saddle 1 l, 12 are conveniently made as a onepiece component of U.P.V.C. by a process of injection moulding. The saddle 12 is mounted on the air diffuser pipe 13 and has a centrally located hollow boss or spigot 14 which enters and makes fluid type engagement with a hole or socket 15 in the pipe 13.

There will, of course, by very many of the holes 15 at spaced intervals along the pipe 13 each one being fitted with a saddle and dfiuser arrangement as now being described.

After the saddle 12 has been mounted on the pipe 13 it is bonded or secured thereto by a process of solvent welding or by a hot or other welded process according to the plastics material of which the component is made.

A brass insert 17 is embedded in the boss 14 of the saddle and is screw threaded to receive the shank 18 of a bolt- 19 by which the diffuser 10 is clamped to the base plate 11. A rubber or other sealing gasket 20 is provided between the lower face of the dome diffuser l0 and the base plate ll to ensure a fluid type joint therebetween, the gasket being positioned in an annular channel in the base plate.

The shank 1% of the bolt 19 has a tubular portion 211 which communicates with a. lateral hole 22 the size of which controls the air flow. Thus air can flow from the pipe 13 into the interior of the dome ll) via the tubular passage 21 and the hole 22, this air being diffused through the porous top and side walls of the diffuser.

A brass or plastics washer 23 and a neoprene or like washer 24 are provided between the head of the bolt 19 and the diffuser to ensure a fluid tight joint.

Annular ribs or ridges 25 may be provided around the base plate ll so as to co-operate with the rubber gasket 26) in ensuring a fluid tight joint.

For the purpose of the present invention the diffuser pipes 13 are retained on the floor F of the treatment tank by stands which (see FIG. 3) are in the form of a heptagon shape block 26 one of the sides of which rests on the floor F.

The block 26 has a hole 2'? through it, through which the difiuser pipe 13 passes. The sides of the block 26 are, as indicated, at different distances from the axis of the hole 27. Thus, by an appropriate selection of the side of the block to rest on the floor F the effective height of the stand and, therefore, the distance of the pipe 113 above the floor F can be varied as required to give varying pipe levels.

The blocks 26 are preferably made in two or more pieces split as indicated for example by the line 28, to facilitate simple erection around the pipe 13 between the base plates ll, 12 of the diffusers. After erection the parts of the block may be cemented or otherwise secured together. Furthermore, they may be cemented or secured to the floor F or their weight may be relied upon to maintain the correct positioning of the pipework.

The blocks 26 may be of concrete or any other suitable material or combination of materials. For instance, the blocks may comprise a plastics shell or container filled with concrete or sand to produce a finished block of the required weight, strength and size. The weight is, of course, important as the blocks act as a kind of ballast for the pipe-work.

By adjusting or setting the blocks 26 differentially a pipe or pipe-work may be levelled or aligned.

I claim 1. A gas diffuser system comprising a pipe having a plurality of gas outlets located at spaced intervals along its length, a corresponding plurality of hollow porous gas diffusers, means for feeding gas to said pipe, means mounting one such diffuser, in gas tight manner, over each of said gas outlets for the flow of gas from said pipe into the hollow interior of said diffuser, and a plurality of stands for supporting said pipe at spaced positions therealong, each such stand comprising a block having a hole through it through which said pipe passes as a close fit, said block being of polygonal form and the sides of the polygon being at different distances from the axis of said hole whereby by adjusting the block angularly about the axis of the pipe the effective height of the stand can be varied.

2. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block has seven sides.

3. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block is in at least two segments to facilitate the positioning of the pipe in it.

4. A gas difiuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block is a block of concrete.

5. A gas difiuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block comprises a polygonal container filled with a heavy material.

6. A gas difiuser system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said container is of a plastics material. 

1. A gas diffuser system comprising a pipe having a plurality of gas outlets located at spaced intervals along its length, a corresponding plurality of hollow porous gas diffusers, means for feeding gas to said pipe, means mounting one such diffuser, in gas tight manner, over each of said gas outlets for the flow of gas from said pipe into the hollow interior of said diffuser, and a plurality of stands for supporting said pipe at spaced positions therealong, each such stand comprising a block having a hole through it through which said pipe passes as a close fit, said block being of polygonal form and the sides of the polygon being at different distances from the axis of said hole whereby by adjusting the block angularly about the axis of the pipe the effective height of the stand can be varied.
 2. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block has seven sides.
 3. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block is in at least two segments to facilitate the positioning of the pipe in it.
 4. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block is a block of concrete.
 5. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polygonal block comprises a polygonal container filled with a heavy material.
 6. A gas diffuser system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said container is of a plastics material. 